Clear aligners is an incredibly popular option for straightening your teeth and improving your smile. It’s especially popular among adults trying to straighten their teeth. Is it right for you, though?
Pros of Clear Aligners
Discrete
As the name suggests, it’s a very discrete option for straightening your teeth. Unless people are squinting to see if you have clear aligners, no one is going to know you’re wearing clear aligners. This is an especially enjoyable perk for adults who would feel embarrassed to wear braces.
More Comfortable Than Braces
The adjustments on clear aligners are more common than those on braces; however, they’re not nearly as uncomfortable. If you’re sensitive to pain, this is going to be a much more preferable option.
Makes Eating and Brushing Easier
Don’t worry about what you can and can’t eat or how to floss with braces. clear aligners make brushing, eating, and flossing much easier. All you have to do is take the tray out, and you’re set.
Shorter Appointment Times
Getting your new aligner trays is much quicker and easier than getting braces adjusted, meaning you’re out of the orthodontist’s office more quickly.
Shorter Treatment
If you choose traditional braces, usually it takes 24 months or so to see your desired results. Candidates who choose clear aligners usually see results in 12 to 18 months.
Cons of Clear Aligners
Snacking Isn’t Convenient
While it’s much easier to eat with clear aligners than with braces, snacking is not as convenient. You have to take the trays out anytime you want to eat–or drink anything besides water. Clear Aligners patients do tend to adjust to their newly required habits pretty easily, though.
It Isn’t Always Invisible
Often, clear aligners are invisible. In some cases, though, you’ll need to have enamel ridges attached to your teeth. The clear aligners will attach to those ridges, allowing for a more secure fit and for more effective straightening.
However, the enamel ridges are not invisible. They aren’t as noticeable as traditional braces, but they aren’t the most discrete, either.
It’s Expensive
The convenience and aesthetics of clear aligners do come at a cost. You’ll have a much more discrete smile straightening, but that’s going to cost you upwards of $4,000.
It Can’t Fix All Bite Issues
Clear Aligners can fix most bite issues. However, if you have severe crowding or other orthodontic issues, you may not be a candidate for Clear Aligners.
You Have to Wear Them Almost All Day
Clear Aligners should be worn approximately 22 hours per day–ideally even more, though. Really, all you’re supposed to take them out for is eating and practicing your dental hygiene.
Are You a Candidate for Clear Aligners?
If you’re a candidate for regular braces, there’s a good chance you’re a candidate for clear aligners, but there are no guarantees.
If you have orthodontic issues that aren’t major, e.g., severe overbite or underbite, you’ll be a candidate for clear aligners.
Should You Choose Clear Aligners?
If you think that the cost of clear aligners is worth the near-invisible aligning that it offers, then yes. Candidates who value the invisible aesthetic, speed of treatment, and ease of maintenance should choose clear aligners.
Candidates who are on a limited budget or who are likely to forget to wear their aligners for 22+ hours per day may not be best served by clear aligners.
Contact Us for an Clear Aligners Consultation
If you’re on the fence about clear aligners, contact the team at Reuland & Barnhart Orthodontics.
We’ll offer you a consultation, determine if you’re a candidate for clear aligners, and explain your options in more detail.
Contact us today to start on your smile journey.
